St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 11

DISASTER PLAN IN EFFECT AT ST. JOHN'S MERCY HOSPITAL RUNWAY LIGHTS Emergency Treatment Provided For 126; Victims Arrived With Almost No Advance Word FAIL AIRPORT FLIGHTS CUT OFF JD.0 A. fer-aft aWK dore said. "What we need," she said "is some sort of large-scale method of transporting patients by helicopter." Although a helicopter pad is provided at the hospital for that purpose, it was not used last night. "We sent a crew out to the landing pad to be ready in case a helicopter came in, but none did.

A helicopter circled overhead but it never landed," Sister Mary Isidore reported. After the scene had quieted and the influx of patients tapered off, Sister Mary Isidore kept busy serving coffee to hospital personnel and reporters Missouri Baptist Busy At Missouri Baptist Hospital, 3015 North Ballas road, 14 pa-' tients were taken to emergency rooms. Of the total, three patienta were admitted and one, a child, was dead when examined by a physician. All four were members of the same family. In addition, 10 patients were admitted who had been evacuated from Chesterfield Manor, a nursing home damaged by the storm.

Robert Guy, administrator at the hospital, said a previously conceived disaster plan was also put in operation at Missouri Baptist. About 10 physicians not normally on duty were called and about 20 extra nurses assisted the regular By Scott C. Dine, a Photograpner By JACOB H. WOLF 1 of the Post-Dispatch Staff St. John's Mercy Hospital was operated under a disaster plan last night to provide emergency treatment for 126 tornado victims who were taken there.

of the patients were admitted to the hospital and one, a child, was dead on 'arrival. Sister Mary Isidore S.M., ministrator of the hospital at South New Ballas and Conway broads, St. Louis county, said -that disaster procedures were rehearsed regularly at St. i John's Mercy and the staff training "paid off for us tonight." However, she said, "I guess disasters never go the way you expect them to and this one certainly did not. "Our disaster plan was based on the assumption that we would have at least 15 min-.

utes' notice before the victims of a catastrophe would begin arriving in our emergency room. "In this case, we no sooner had heard that a tornado had struck than the patients were at our door. They came in huge waves beginning at about 7:30. "They arrived in police cars, ambulances and private auto- mobiles. The poor people were drenched and cold and bloody.

Some had their clothing torn -L off and many were without shoes. Their hair was caked with debris that appeared to be insulation used in construc-' tion. "Most of the tiny children ap-, peared to be in shock and their faces were cut. They ap-. parently had been hit by flying objects or their bodies were picked up by the wind and tossed against something.

"As fast as the patients came In we got their names, if we could, and put tags on them. Our six emergency rooms were busy until about 11 p.m. wheji things began to slow down." Wreckage of Homes in County Areas This home on Tan Oem drive in west St. Louis county was destroyed by the storm. One wall of the home at left has been torn away.

Elec- trie power lines draped over the wreckage and Water sprayed from a broken water pipe at right. The home is near Olive boulevard. Crowds Cause Traffic Jams And Hinder Rescue Work Compounding the problems of rescue workers and authorities after last night's tornado were the thousands cf persons who streamed into the stricken areas. Traffic jams developed on major arteries, at times blocking official vehicles. There were some instances of motorists ignoring the flashing lights and sirens.

staff. With some of the patients taken to the emergency rooms for treatment was a boy who was not injured but was in the custody of adults in the group. He was discovered to have chicken pox after a routine check by physicians, Guy said. Gathering in Lobby Airline service at Lambert-St. Louis Field was shut down for more than two hours last night because of failure of the runway lights after the storm hit.

Airport Manager David E. Leigh said that for years the airport had received commercial electric service from two well- separated substations. Either is able to supply the full needs of the field, and in the past at least one always has remained in operation. Last night lines from both apparently wer broken. The log of the Federal Aviation Agency control tower' shows that commercial electric service was interrupted at 7:04 p.m., blacking out all field operations.

Emergency generators automatically cut in and the tower was back on the air communicating with planes by radio five minutes later. Runway lights remained out for more than two hours, however, preventing airliners from landing or taking off. 2 Flights Approaching Two flights were approaching the airport at the time the storm struck. Both were directed to fly holding patterns about 20 miles west of the airport, in relativley calm air, until the storm passed. After the runway lights went out, both flights went to alternate destinations.

Several oher flights were diverted to other airports during the blackout, and flights on the ground waiting to leave were unable to take off until runway lighting was restored. AM lights went out briefly in the administijation building when the commercial power service was cut. However, within a few minutes battery-operated emergency lights were on. A spokesman for the FAA tower said that some of the controllers on duty in the glass-inclosed tower were instructed to go to lower levels as a safety precaution in case the large glass panels wer shattered by the wind. There was no gilass breakage at the top level, but a few small panes were broken at lower levels.

About 50 aircraft at the airport were damaged by a short but sharp hail storm. Planes in hangers were not damaged. Fabric-covered craft were ripped and will have to be recovered, and metal surfaces were dented. Windows in planes were broken. All craft damaged apparently were privately owned and were on the west side of the airport.

Power Line Flashes Controllers on duty in the tower at the peak of the storm said they saw many flashes, especially to the south, south- -east and southwest of the airport, as power lines broke. There was one slightly ironic twist to the suspension of airline flights because of the failure of runway lights. An emer "It's pretty sickening," a The spurt of activity to care Coast Guard reservist tornado victims had quieted ed, holding back a growing crowd from an area of St. Ann stopped as the occupants inquired whether they would be permitted into the damaged areas. Some told officers of relatives, friends or acquaintances whose homes were in the area.

"It's hard to tell whether they're telling the truth or just lying so they can get a closer look," an Army reservist explained. "I let this one guy in who said his mother lived here, and he was later kicked out. Robbing a house, he was." Among those drawn to the scenes of destruction were numerous older persons, although the majority appeared to be under 25 years old. When questioned about their reasons for going to the disaster areas, most indicated that they thought it was "just terrible" or "horrible," but made no effort to explain why they had left their undamaged homes. One boy frankly said, "It's the biggest thing that's happened around here.

I just had to see it, is all." The curious were still snarling traffic and causing headaches for officials this morning. At 7 a.m. today the traffic on Lindbergh was backed up as far as Olive boulevard as northbound motorists slowed to stare at the damage several miles north near residences damaged by the tornado. "Personally, I'd just as soon not be here myself." On north Lindbergh boulevard, traffic slowed to a crawl as motorists slowed to gape at twisted gasoline pumps and light poles. State and county lice vainly waved flashlights and shouted instructions to keep moving.

In Edmundson, helr--'ed volunteers moved up anjwn the darkened streets, chasing away teen-agers attracted by the disaster. "I shagged those two off again," a policeman noted to another officer. "The next time, I'm going to run them in." At intersections blocked off by police, dozens of automobiles By Robert TaRouehe. Post-Dlwwitc-li iPtiotoffraphp Neighbors of Glenn Koeppel, 1001 Chambers road, Ferguson, are working to board up the windows of the Koeppel home. The wreckage in foreground was thrown against the house from an apartment building across the street, damaging the front of the Koeppel residence.

by 2 a.m. today at Missouri Baptist but relatives and friends of persons treated there remained in small groups in the front lpbby. They talked softly and occasionally someone would begin sobbing, expressing distress about his experience or concern over a loved one. Gas service in the county continued with almost no disruption of service, a spokesman for Laclede Gas Co. said.

It was not necessary to shut off any main gas lines and the only disruption of service occurred at individual homes that were demolished or were damaged and gas meters torn from mountings. Gas service was cut off at about 100 homes in areas where the storm struck. Power Cut Off Electric service to about customers was cut off because of storm damage, a Union Electric Co. spokesman reported. However, service had been restored by 10 p.m.

to about 75 per cent of the homes cut off. At 8 a.m. today, 4000 to 5000 homes were without service but power was expected to be restored by noon. Damage to power lines in Edmundson was so severe that Union Electric engineers were required to follow circuit diagrams for proper reconstruction of new lines. "We simply are building new power lines and must follow our charts to find out where Adie road.

Tornado Is Fourth of Its Kind in City or County Data Still Lacking As late as 1:30 a.m. today, however, complete information still was not available on patients. Sister Mary Isidore said that street addresses of some patients were not learned and in one case, the parents of a child were unidentified. Staff members on duty at St. John's Mercy had placed only three telephone calls to summon physicians to the hospital when about "70 or 80 of them showed up, "if was reported.

Their skills represented a variety of specialties ranging from brain surgeons to allergists. Sister Mary Isidore said 10 "serious surgical cases" were bruoght in during the massive influx of patients. Sister Mary Raymonda, director of nursing service, said that about 30 phy- sioians handled all of the emergencies. Nurses Report Two hundred student nurses who were off duty and involved in a basketball tournament immediately reported for duty, some of them still dressed in their shorts. "They scurried around here doing everything, wearing little hospital aprons over their shorts," Sister Mary Isidore said.

"They all looked like they were wearing miniskirts." The nursing staff was sup-, by 25 graduate nurses who worked the day shift yesterday and voluntarily returned to duty last night. Extra beds were made available for tornado victims by discharging patients who were to In St. Louis, it cut a swath about seven miles long and two to four blocks wide, extending from the Manchester avenue industrial district, across the southeast tip of Forest Park, along Grand boulevard to the region of old Sportsman's Park and then east to the river. The 1896 tornado came late in the afternoon on a sultry day. South St.

Louis was hardest hit. The twister moved from service by the tornado are expected to be back in operation within 36 hours, spokesman for th' Southwestern Bell Telephone Co, reported. By 7 a.m. today, mare than 5500 telephones were reported out of service and more than 160 poles were down. Both figures were expected to be considerably higher when the full extent of damage is determined.

More than half of the telephones out of service were in the Overland and Bridgeton These areas are served by the HArrison, AXminster, BLackburn, PErshing and THornwall exchanges. Other areas reporting considerable damage were Creve Coeur, Spanish Lake, Ferguson and Riverview. A large volume of calls was expected today and customers HOSPITAL DRILL COMES DAY AFTER THE DISASTER A disaster drill scheduled for 4 p.m. today at Jewish Hospital almost came a day early when a tornado hit St. Louis county last night.

However, the drill will go on as scheduled today. Twenty student nurses will simulate injuries that could be received in a flood. They will pretend to have suffered fractures, shock, burns, internal injuries and heart conditions. Phillip Bassin, assistant hospital director, said (hat the drill would go ahead as planned because the hospital was not called on to treat patients on an emergency basis in last night's tornado. Last night's tornado was the fourth destructive storm of major proportions in St.

Louis and St. Louis county. The last one struck only eight years ago, on Feb. 10, 1959. It caused 21 deaths, injured more than 400 and damaged almost 2000 buildings.

The others occurred on Sept. 29, 1927, when 82 were killed, and May 27, 1896 probably the worst catastrophe in the city's history when 306 persons died. All four tornadoes, including the one last night, moved from west to east or southwest to northeast. Charles Caswell, Weather Bureau forecaster, noted, however, that last night's storm, unlike the earlier ones, cut across northwest St. Louis county.

The 1959 tornado struck at gency generator was ordered for the runway lights after the 2: 12 a.m., when most of the community was asleep. It had touched down briefly about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis, near Sullivan, and again in the Warson Woods area. It hit with full force In the area of Hampton and Oakland avenues, passed over Forest Park and wreaked the most damage in the area north and east of Kingshighway and Forest Park boulevard. Practically no damage was reported on the East Side.

The 1927 tornado struck hardest in the same general area, the central part of the city. It hit in the early afternoon. After causing sporadic damage in suburbs in the southwest county, it swept across a sectioa of the city, the Mississippi river and Venice, Madison and Granite City on the East Side. Tower Grove park almost due major Pwer blackout in the pqsr ar.rnss the river and into east in November 1965. The generator was delivered they should be, a company spokesman said.

"The others are gone and we don't know where they were." About 500 Union Electric workers were summoned to duty last night and crews were making repairs by 7:45 p.m. A helicopter was in use today to may experience overload con ditions that momentarily pre- survey power line damage, Most telephones put out of vent placement of calls. be sent home today, and ny transferring two nuns who were patients to the Sisters of Mercy 7-7 7 7 1 77 a few weeks ago but has not been installed yet because it is to go in a new section of the field shops building, which is under construction. TRIP TO DOCTOR CREDITED WITH SAVING 4 LIVES An emergency trip to the doctor by the Henry 'Pollak family is credited with saving their lives when the storm ripped through the Glenwood subdivision in Maryland Heights last night. The Pollaks rushed' from their home at 12421 Glengate drive at 4:30 p.m.

yesterday to take their 7-week-old son, David to the doctor after the baby developed trouble breathing. They took their 2-year-old son, Robert, with them. After visiting the doctor who relieved the baby's problem; they visited Mrs. Poilak's par. ents, Mr.

and Mrs. Eriw.arrf East St. Louis. There were 137 killed in St. Louis and 118 in East St.

Louis. Almost 50 persons were killed in the neighborhood of Seventh and Rutger streets, 17 losing their lives in one house. Steamboats along the riverfront were smashed and two trains crossing Eads bridge were overturned. Property damage was estimated at There apparently were two smaller twisters associated with the major one in 1959, one two miles to the south and the oth-damaging some homes in the Florissant area to the north. The 1959 tornado was proceeded by near-torrential rains earlier that night.

Temperatures were mild. There had been no concern about additional severe weather and no Weather Bureau predictions of a tornado. On the East Side, a tornado caused four deaths and 50 injuries at Wood River in May 1949. A 25-block area of buildings was wrecked. The tornado Novack, ,6615 Clemens avenue'.

caused 22 deaths and injuries University City. Tin iu jciouna ai uiiar- nicy ieiurnea nome at 8-lft deau. Mo. to find their house demolished "They couldn't even find the house for a while," Mrs. Novack said.

"They still can't even find the children's beds or the color television set. It was a miracle that saved their lives." Ten persons were killed in Belleville and O'Fallon by a tornado in March 1938. More than 35 persons were injured. About 60 buildings were left in ruins. convent, in addition, Deas were set up in parlors and hallways and one ward that had been closed because of insufficient personnel was opened.

Temporary Beds for 60 In the first few hours after the tornado hit, about 60 patients had been provided with temporary beds, Sister Mary Isidore said. The large number of patients rushed to St. John's Mercy was attributed to the proximity of the hospital to areas in the far west end of the where the twister struck. Officers from many police departments performed temporary duty in the emergency room, assisting victims from vehicles in which they were rushed to the hospital and helping carry stretchers and push patients through corridors in wheel chairs. "No one requested the police offices to come here and Sister Majy Isidore said.

"They just showed up and went to work. God help us! He must have known how much we reeded those men." Slowed by Traffic Among' those who helped with the rescue work were persons with cizens' band radios in their, automobiles. They cruised 1ie disaster area reporting on trapped, victims, guiding spectators away from downed power lines, guarding roads and rout-. ing looters. The arrival of patients at the hospital apparently was slowed by traffic, jams on main thoroughfares leading to St.

John's Mercy, Sister Mary Isi- 17 A Jan. 25, 1967 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH DANIEL BOONE Votes Counted by Flashlights, Gaslights in Pattonville Election Heights, said the counting was completed after emergency gas-operated lights were turned on Electric power still was off today, he said. At St. Ann School, 3721 St Bridget lane, workers attempt! ed to count ballots by flashlight, but found it difficult.

So they obtained permission from the St. Louis County Boarrd of Election Commissioners to complete the counting at St, Ann Citv Hall. Both propositions were approved by votes in the Workers at two polling places in the Pattonville school district's special bond issue and tax election yesterday were forced to count ballots by flashlight and gasoperated lights. The counting had begun at Remington and St. Ann schools shortly after the polls closed at 7 p.m.

when the tornado struck. Windows in the schools were shattered and electric power was cut off. Roy E. Clarke, principal of Rerrlingtori' School, 102 South Fee Fee road, Maryland By Albert L. Schweitzer a Post -Dispatch Artist Path of Destruction tlrof aBf age was reported to homes in River Bend Estates.

It passed 'sou Creve Coeur lake and south of Lambert-St. Louis Field. Sh Map showing the northeasterly path taken by a tornado that struck in St. Louis county last night. The twister first touched down west of River Bend Estates in west St.

Louis county. Some of the worst dam- areas represent sites where damage was reported..